Product Field NotesLavender Plants
Riez Lavender: Sky-Blue Heads on an Early English Lavender
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Riez lavender is an English lavender with compact, sky-blue flower heads and fragrant gray-green foliage. Its scent is listed as intensely fragrant, with a strong aromatic, floral-herbal character, and it is known for flowering early and coming back with more blooms after pruning.
Blue is a tricky color in the garden. Riez makes it easy.
Riez at a glance
| Trait | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Botanical name | Lavandula angustifolia 'Riez' |
| Flower color | Sky blue, compact heads |
| Foliage | Gray-green and fragrant |
| Habit | Compact |
| Mature size | Listed at about 24 inches tall and 36 inches wide |
| Bloom | Early season, with repeat bloom after pruning |
| Hardiness | USDA zones 5a to 8b |
| Fragrance | Intense, aromatic floral-herbal |
| Water | Low; documented as drought resistant once established |
About that early bloom
The listing gives a bloom start in early March and a peak in mid-April, with flowering continuing into summer and repeating after pruning. Those dates reflect mild-climate timing. In a cold-winter garden, every lavender waits for the soil and nights to warm, so expect Riez to bloom later than the calendar on the listing and still be among the earlier English lavenders in your bed. The Bloom Calendar helps you plan the order of flowering.
Planting Riez
Full sun and drainage first, everything else second. Plant in sandy or loamy soil, or build up heavy soil into a raised bed. Even though the habit is described as compact, the listed spread is about three feet, so space plants generously to keep air moving between them. Set the crown at soil level, water in deeply, and keep wood mulch away from the base.
Getting the rebloom
- After the first flush: cut back the flowering stems and a little of the foliage, shaping the plant into a mound.
- Through summer: repeat lighter trims after each round of flowers.
- Last trim: finish by late summer so new growth can firm up before winter.
- Water: low needs once established. Drought resistance is one of its documented traits, so resist the urge to water often.
Uses for the harvest
Riez is rated great for culinary use and excellent for essential oil. The blue flower heads also look lovely dried. Cut stems in the morning once the dew is off, when buds are colored and only a few flowers are open, then hang them in small bunches out of direct sun. For the kitchen, use buds grown as a food crop and start with a small amount, since an intensely fragrant lavender needs only a pinch in a batch of shortbread.
Frequently asked questions
Is Riez really blue?
Its flowers are described as sky blue. Like all lavender colors, the exact shade shifts a little with light, weather and soil.
Is Riez part of a series?
Yes, it is listed as part of the Provence Series. The name refers to the selection group, not the species; Riez is a true English lavender.
Does Riez survive cold winters?
It is rated for zones 5a to 8b and, as an English lavender, is among the hardier types. Sharp drainage helps it through wet winters.
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